SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The practice of improving a website so it ranks higher in unpaid (organic) search results on Google and other search engines. It covers on-page factors (titles, content, structure), technical health, and off-page authority (links).
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Optimizing your content and data so AI systems — ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini — understand, trust, and cite your business when they answer a question. It relies on structured data, clear entity signals, and answer-ready content.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Optimizing content to become the direct answer in featured snippets, People Also Ask, voice assistants, and AI responses. It rewards concise question-and-answer content and FAQ schema.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page of results you see after a search. Modern SERPs include organic links, ads, map packs, featured snippets, People Also Ask, and increasingly AI-generated overviews.
Local SEO
The subset of SEO focused on ranking for location-based searches (e.g. "plumber near me") and in Google’s local map pack. It depends on your Google Business Profile, consistent NAP data, reviews, and local content.
Google Business Profile
The free business listing that appears in Google Search and Maps. A complete, active profile with reviews and accurate hours is one of the biggest drivers of local visibility and calls.
NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
Your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number. Keeping NAP identical across your website and every directory is a core local-SEO signal — even small inconsistencies can hurt rankings.
Schema markup (structured data)
Code (usually JSON-LD from schema.org) that labels the information on your page so search engines and AI can read it as data — your organization, services, reviews, FAQs. It powers rich results and AI citations.
Featured snippet
The boxed answer Google shows at the top of some results, lifted from a page it trusts. Winning it (often called "position zero") sends a burst of qualified traffic.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s user-experience metrics — loading (LCP), visual stability (CLS), and responsiveness (INP). They are a ranking signal and directly affect how many visitors stay and convert.
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
A Core Web Vital measuring how long the largest visible element takes to load. A good LCP is under 2.5 seconds; slow LCP loses visitors and rankings.
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
A Core Web Vital measuring unexpected movement of page elements as it loads. Lower is better (under 0.1). High CLS frustrates users and hurts SEO.
Title tag
The HTML element that sets your clickable headline in search results and browser tabs. Aim for ~50–60 characters, unique per page, with the terms people search for.
Meta description
The short summary (~140–160 characters) that can appear under your title in search results. It doesn’t directly affect ranking but strongly influences click-through rate.
Canonical URL
A tag that tells search engines which version of a page is the "master" when similar or duplicate URLs exist, consolidating ranking signals and avoiding duplicate-content issues.
Open Graph tags
Meta tags (og:title, og:description, og:image) that control how your link looks when shared on social platforms. Without them, shares look plain and earn fewer clicks.
Backlink
A link from another website to yours. High-quality, relevant backlinks act as votes of confidence and are a major off-page ranking factor.
llms.txt
An emerging plain-text file at the root of a site that summarizes the business and points AI crawlers to key pages — an early signal for being understood and cited by AI assistants.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
Paid advertising where you pay each time someone clicks your ad (e.g. Google Ads, Meta Ads). It delivers immediate traffic and is measurable down to cost per lead.
Conversion rate
The percentage of visitors who take a desired action — filling out a form, calling, or buying. Improving it means more revenue from the same traffic.
Speed to lead
How fast you respond to a new inquiry. Responding within 5 minutes can increase conversion dramatically; a CRM with automation ensures no lead waits.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software that stores your leads and customers and manages follow-up — messages, pipelines, reminders, reviews. DataDrivenHQ includes DDHQ CRM with its managed marketing plans.
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